Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Canadian Turkey. Thank you for supporting the brands I love, as they help me keep my blog running. The opinions in the post are entirely my own.
Easy Peking Style Turkey Recipe
Inspired by the famous Peking Duck dish, learn to make tender Peking style roast turkey with thin, crispy skin. This turkey meal is classy and a showstopper!
With the pandemic, I know that Thanksgiving celebrations could look much different this year. I will be celebrating on a much smaller scale with my family but my Peking-inspired turkey dish is perfect for a smaller gathering.
My version of this scrumptious turkey dish is extremely easy to make especially because I use pre-cut turkey pieces (turkey breast and thighs), rather than roasting a whole turkey. Using pre-cut pieces means fewer preparation steps and the roasting time gets cut down significantly. I was able to cook the turkey in the oven in less than one hour! Who doesn’t want more time on their hands?
Serve the sliced turkey pieces in Peking duck wrappers with fresh ingredients including cucumbers, carrots and green onions, followed by a dollop of sweet hoisin sauce. The toppings are how I grew up eating Peking duck and they work well with turkey. The authenticity of the dish is still captured with the turkey as the star!
Happy Gobble Gobble!
Turkey and Thanksgiving go together and this tradition is simply scrumptious!
Canadian Turkey is versatile and easy to prepare with many different flavour and spice combinations that work well. It is easy to create a meal that suits your family’s tastes and traditions.
If you are looking for an alternative to cooking a whole turkey for a family of 4 or 6 (like mine!), this recipe, using pre-cut turkey pieces, is the perfect option. I bought my turkey thighs and breast pieces pre-cut at my local supermarket but you can also ask your local butcher. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could deconstruct a whole turkey and use the pieces you need.
There are plenty of other ways to use turkey for small gatherings. Try roasting half a turkey, butterflying turkey breasts, making a roulade, or grilling pieces on the BBQ. There are many recipe ideas at www.canadianturkey.ca to help you create a tasty meal for Thanksgiving.
My version of the Peking style turkey is easy to make and has an interactive element. The turkey can be carved table side with the toppings and wrappers placed at the table. Each person can choose how many slices of turkey and toppings they want in each wrap.
Both the skin and the turkey meat are the stars of the dish. Every bite of the turkey wrapped in the pancakes is an explosion of flavours and textures, especially with the addition of the crunchy fresh vegetables. DIY style is how it’s served at Chinese restaurants globally and the serving style of choice at our home.
On top of being a mouth-watering dish, turkey is also nutritious! This is a lean protein, jammed-packed with nutrients like vitamin B12, selenium and zinc. Turkey also provides a big punch of flavour! We can all say yeah to that!
8 Ways to Master Thanksgiving Preparation and Planning!
- To ensure extra-crispy skin, unwrap your turkey the day before you are planning to cook it and leave it in the fridge overnight. The extra drying time will add the perfect crispiness to your turkey.
- Use a good quality meat thermometer to ensure you cook your turkey to the perfect doneness. Test your thermometer a few days ahead of time to make sure it is working properly.
- Consider cooking your turkey in parts – breasts, thighs and drums – for a quicker, foolproof way to get the meat done perfectly.
- Get a head start on your meal! You can prep all of your staples like onions, celery and carrots up to 3 days beforehand. Just dice your vegetables and store in storage bags. Green beans, squash and salad greens can also be washed, trimmed, and chopped ahead of time. Store these in storage bags for ready-to-cook sides.
- To reduce cooking time, cook your stuffing on the side. This way you can get more of your favourite crunchy bits while cutting down on cooking time in the oven.
- Plan ahead and make a ‘smart’ shopping list. Organize it by staples you can buy in advance and perishables you need to buy a few days before. Make sure to organize your list according to sections of the grocery store.
- Look for make-ahead sides that you can make a day or two before but will still taste delicious re-heated. Bookmark a website with tasty and reliable turkey recipes and resources, like www.canadianturkey.ca, so you’re ready for the big day!
- To plan for leftovers, order a turkey that is several pounds bigger than what you need. Extra turkey freezes well! Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a quick start to a weekday meal.
- Visit www.canadianturkey.ca for recipe inspirations and create salads, soups, pastas or casseroles in a snap!
Bookmark Canadianturkey.ca as your go-to resource on everything turkey, including tips, techniques and recipe inspiration. There are year-round “how-to” videos and step-by-step tutorials.
Easy steps to make the Peking style turkey dish
First, the turkey skin is tightened using a special technique (read more below) before the turkey is marinated. The turkey marinade includes aromatic Chinese five-spice, honey, and mushroom flavoured dark soy.
The turkey is then air-dried overnight in the fridge to add extra crispness to the skin when it’s roasted.
This is an easy dish to make with the vegetables and garnish prepared in advance. The vegetables are cut lengthwise to make it easier to roll in the wrap. The store-bought wrappers take only a few minutes to steam and soften. Warm them up right before serving.
Peking Style Turkey Techniques!
How to achieve the thin and crispy skin for this dish!
One of the key components to making this dish “Peking style” is the thin and crispy skin. Pour boiling water over the raw skin to help it shrink, tighten and render the fat. While the marinade is key to the tender meat, leaving the turkey uncovered helps to evaporate moisture on the skin. Follow these steps and you will get that great crispy skin after roasting your turkey.
Steaming the Peking Duck Wrappers
Store-bought Peking duck wrappers (also known as Mandarin wrappers) can be found at the frozen section of Asian grocery stores in Canada. The frozen wrappers can be steamed or microwaved before serving. If using a dedicated steamer pot, line the steamer with parchment paper with holes or brush the bottom with oil. I have used bamboo steamers for presentation, but use what is convenient for you. If you cannot find the Peking Duck wrappers, soft tacos or mini fajitas make a great alternative.
Peking Style Turkey Ingredients
Here is a reference section for a few of the ingredients in the recipe.
Chinese five-spice
The aromatic Chinese five-spice can be found at most grocery stores and consists of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel seeds. You can also make your own by grinding these ingredients into a powder but pre-blended Chinese five-spice is likely available at your local grocery store.
Dark mushroom soy sauce
Dark soy sauce is thicker, darker in colour and more full bodied in flavour than regular soy sauce. The mushroom flavour of dark soy adds an umami boost to dishes. When shopping, look for bottles that say “mushroom flavour dark soy sauce”. This sauce is what gives the turkey skin a beautiful dark caramel hue. Use regular soy sauce as an alternative.
I am so happy to share this recipe with you. The Peking style turkey is an elegant dish your family will love!
RECIPE
Peking Style Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 (700 g) turkey breast
- 2 (700 g) bone-in turkey thighs
- 20 (240 g) Peking Duck wrappers 6.5 inches in diameter or larger
- 6 cups (1500 ml) boiling water
- 4 cups (1000 ml) cold water
- 1 cucumber, deseeded, cut ½ inch x 2 inch pieces
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 scallion stalk, thinly sliced lengthwise approx ½ inch x 2 inch pieces
- 1 cilantro stalk, leaves and stems, rough chop
- Cooking oil
Marinade
- ⅓ cup (80ml) mushroom flavoured dark soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- ⅛ cup (30 ml) rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice
Sauce
- ⅓ cup (80ml) hoisin sauce
Instructions
Prepping the turkey
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Add 6 cups of water to fill a kettle or a small pot and bring to a boil. Place the turkey breast and thighs in a colander and pour the boiling water on the skin. Place the turkey in a container.
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In a bowl, mix all the ingredients in the marinade (mushroom flavoured dark soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar and Chinese five-spice). Mix well.
Roast the turkey
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Take out the turkey 30 minutes before roasting to allow it to get to room temperature. Line a pan with tin foil. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
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Space the turkey pieces evenly on the pan. Pour a thin layer of the marinade on the skin. Reserve the remaining marinade.
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Roast the turkey for about 40 mins or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. At the 20-minute mark, brush the marinade on the skin. The remaining marinade can be discarded.
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Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 10 mins. Slice on a diagonal.
Steam the wrappers
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In a pan, add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Brush the steaming baskets with oil or line with parchment paper. Poke holes throughout the parchment paper to allow steam to get through. Carefully add the wrappers in the basket and steam for 4 minutes.
Assembling the dish
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Add desired number of turkey slices, sliced scallions, carrots, cucumber, and hoisin sauce on a Peking duck wrapper. Fold and enjoy.
Other easy turkey recipes:
- Instant Pot Turkey and Mushroom Soup
- Grilled Turkey Chow Mein
- Other Thanksgiving recipe ideas including what to do with your leftover turkey
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